Carbonic maceration
A fermentation variant borrowed and adapted from winemaking, in which whole cherries are fermented in a sealed vessel deliberately purged with and held under carbon dioxide, rather than relying only on the CO2 the fermentation itself produces (as in standard anaerobic fermentation). An intensification of anaerobic processing rather than a wholly separate method — the two terms are sometimes used loosely or inconsistently by producers and marketers, and CoffeeHQ's anaerobic-fermentation entry should be read alongside this one rather than treated as entirely distinct in every real-world use of the terms.
Steps
- Harvesting whole, ripe cherries
- Sealing cherries in a vessel purged with carbon dioxide
- Extended fermentation under a controlled CO2 atmosphere
- Drying
- Typical duration
- 1-6 days
Possible flavour influence
- often associated with intense, sometimes wine-like or heavily fruited character
- can produce more pronounced or unusual fermentation notes than standard anaerobic processing
Inferred, not independently verified — A recent, still-experimental process borrowed from winemaking terminology; producer technique varies significantly, published independent evidence on flavour outcomes is limited, and industry usage of the term itself is not fully standardised.